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8 tools to give your mental health a boost
Whether it’s suffering from anxiety and self-harm, or feeling blue and coping with a serious case of FOMO, everyone experiences difficulties with their mental wellbeing. Recent research among UK students have concluded there’s actually a mental health crisis.
So if you’re struggling, firstly know that you’re not alone and there are people out there going through the same thing. There are also plenty of ways you can seek help or use self care to boost your wellbeing. Here we take a look at eight tools you could try to boost your mental wellbeing.
'Try these 8 neat tools to give your mental health a boost'
1. Headspace
If you find yourself a bit distracted or unable to focus at school or work, give Headspace a try. It’s a really popular app that teaches you how to meditate, which has been prove to boost focus and attention. There are lots of different sessions which have themes like combatting stress and sleeping better.
2. Calm Harm
If you’ve ever felt the urge to harm yourself, first of all – know that you’re not the only one. The rates of self-harm among young people have shot up in recent years. If you can, talk to someone you trust, like a parent/carer, relative, teacher or friend.
Self-harm is a common response to the anxieties and stresses of work and school. But it’s important to find more positive coping strategies. One of the ways you can do that is by checking out the app Calm Harm.
The app helps you think about the urge to harm yourself as like surfing a wave: “it builds, it peaks, but ultimately it subsides”. So you think about it like riding out the wave and the app gives you six ways to do that: Comfort, Distract, Express Yourself, Release, Random and Breathe.
The Distract option, for example, might ask you to think of a country for every letter of the alphabet. The Express Yourself category could ask you to write down what’s upsetting on a bit of paper then rip it up.
3. YouTube
YouTube is more than beauty tutorials and cat clips - there are loads of great videos to help you manage stress. Check out Revision vs Life, Eve Bennett's tips on making sure exams don't take over your life. There are plenty of other channels too, we're sure you're familiar with some of them already.
4. Instagram
It might surprise you to see Instagram on this list. A survey in the UK showed that Insta is actually the worst social media platform when it comes to the impact it has on your mental health. Being constantly bombarded with images of the perfect life, the perfect body and the perfect holiday (these are all fake btw, we promise), is really hard and can take a serious toll on how you feel.
BUT…. we think, why not turn the Insta blues and FOMO around with a bit of self care? You could hack your own Insta feed so you only see positive stuff that makes you feel better and gives your mental wellbeing a proper boost.
Try following inspirational people like @Andysmanclubuk (encouraging young men to talk about mental health), @iamleyahshanks (body confidence activist) and @bodyposipanda (body positive champion) and see how your self-esteem and confidence could be improved.
5. Catch It
This great app helps you manage feelings like anxiety and depression by keeping a journal. The app asks you to keep track of your mood and helps you find better ways to deal with problems. It’s free on the App Store and Google Play.
6. Epic Friends
Epic Friends is an awesome site that helps you look out for your friends if they’re struggling with issues like self-harm and anxiety.
7. Chill Panda
Feeling stressed from a tough day at school or work? Chill Panda helps you, well, chill out by measuring your heart rate and giving you some simple exercises and breathing techniques. It offers you different tasks to suit your current state of mind and distract you from whatever’s worrying you.
8. Cove
If you’re a creative type, you might want to give Cove a try. This cool app lets you make music that expresses how you feel. If you’re struggling to explain how you’re feeling with words, you can create music to express emotions like sadness, anger, calm and joy. Then store them in a personal journal or share them with others.
Important! If you’re really struggling to cope, you can check out this list of contacts from the charity Mind.
